While the Ford Thunderbird is a living legend amongst car collecting circles around the world, how did the very first T-Bird come to life back in 1955?
Legendary classic cars usually come from a time and place that can’t be replicated. If the car in question happened to appear too early or too late, then the magic formula wouldn’t be quite right, and the car would have been forgotten instead of celebrated. While the fifties certainly produced more than a handful of these icons, the Ford Thunderbird comes pretty close to taking the cake.
Affectionately known as the T-Bird or Tbird, it’s legacy includes being the car that reinvented Ford as a staple producer of America’s finest cars. With the earliest designs of the vehicle coming from Henry Ford II himself, the T-Bird went on to dominate the automotive industry and influence newer releases from both Ford and it’s competitors for generations to come. Although it’s still revered by classic car collectors on a global scale, what are the origins of the iconic T-Bird?
Introducing The Car That Changed America
The Ford Thunderbird is one of the most iconic nameplates from the muscle car era. While appearances at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration and cinematic representation through the likes of 1991’s “Thelma And Louise” all contributed to the T-Bird’s celebrity status, in its heyday there was nothing else quite like it.
Let’s not forget that the fifties were certainly an exciting time to be in the United States. With the events of World War II finally over, the world rejoiced and celebrated with a whole new lease on life. As such, almost everything got bigger – the paychecks, the suburbs, the economy, and of course, the cars.
However, many Americans returned home from Europe with dreams of what the cars of the future would look like on home soil. When it came to cars, style and speed somehow managed to blend together, and American automakers were scratching their heads as to how to replicate this as a means to meet market demand. With the looks of the European models but the engines of American muscle, this would spawn a whole new generation of automotive innovation, and marked the birth of sports cars.
While Chevrolet were already enjoying the runaway success of the Corvette, the team at Ford were at the drawing board night and day to release a sports car of their own. As such, in 1953 a smaller two-seater sports roadster was developed at the behest of Henry Ford II – the grandson of Ford founder Henry Ford. Known as the “‘Vega”, this fresh offering to the market did generate some interest thanks to its sporty exterior, but left consumers underwhelmed with it’s lacklustre power under the hood.
While Ford’s first attempt at a sports car never made it to the production line, it did form the foundation of the very first Thunderbird. Although the T-Bird was similar in concept, it was redesigned to be far more American in style, more luxurious and less sport-oriented. Many would now argue that the key to unlocking its success was that there were no sacrifices made to its performance and engine capacity – it was essentially designed to be a flashy and luxurious machine, with V8 power to back all that up with proper muscle.
With a price tag of between $2,695 and $4,000, the very first T-Bird was an immediate hit, with younger buyers in particular describing the car as a “morale builder that is real fun and a sport to drive.” Spanning eleven generations of models, sales totalling well over the four million mark, and clocking up a whopping fifty years of production, Ford’s sporty, sophisticated and elegant Thunderbird established its own market segment: personal luxury cars. The vehicle has since left a legacy for its speed, agility, and later its luxury and comfort, with the T-Bird regarded as one of the very best living legends in classic car circles today.
Getting Your Hands On A Classic Car
Getting Your Hands On A Classic Car As a piece of American history, a social experience and even as an investment opportunity, owning a classic car has been on the bucket list for many car lovers young and old – but where do you find one?
Finding a fellow vintage auto enthusiast can feel a bit like finding a needle in a haystack, but rest assured that Classic’s Garage understands the thrill more than most. Having spent forty years collecting anything and everything from matchbox cars to hub caps, he’s successfully followed his passion to source, collect and stock beautiful and low mileage classic automobiles from around the world. With extensive experience in the automotive industry, it was only a matter of time before Wayne expanded on his love of vintage, iconic vehicles to share his knowledge and passion with the public.
Although his passion is for automobiles built before 1978, with a particular love for Buicks, Cadillacs, Lincolns, Oldsmobiles and even Fords, Wayne is just as passionate about the stories of the owners. Just like the cars, he has found that his fellow classic car enthusiasts all have wildly different attractions and logic behind their passion or hobby, and this often translates into how the car is presented. If it’s even remotely different, rare or just plain unusual, Wayne will overcome the relevant logistical and geographical challenges of bringing the cars to his showroom in Australia.
Classic’s Garage is a showroom conveniently located at Seventeen Mile Rocks, that specialises in the restoration and sales of vintage automobiles. In fact, he’s got a medley of fully restored models in stock right now, which can be viewed online via Wayne’s Collection. If you’re on the hunt for Brisbane classic cars – quite simply, Wayne is your man. If you would like to arrange a viewing or inspect any other of our classic vehicles, please get in touch with us today.
